a typical day in in this momma's life

but first…coffee. (a day in the life.)

okay, now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, the rest of what I write will make sense to you.

a few have asked what a typical day looks like in our family, so this is me attempting to do that.

our day begins when our youngest calls from her room, letting the entire world know she’d like to come downstairs. this is usually around 6am. my husband, being the ever-so-kind husband (also probably trying to avoid me having to wake up quickly…not a pretty sight) gets her breakfast. he leaves for work and I try to get moving… but first…

coffee.

of course, coffee is the essential ingredient for any homeschool mom. or any mom, for that matter.

and so it begins.

my oldest goes to her music courses (for 2 hrs), my middle-school aged daughter starts her school work and I do pre-K with my youngest. this involves a bit of hyped-up energy. on my part. but first…

coffee.

do you notice a pattern? the struggle is real.

so we do our morning circle time… which is well, not really a circle… then we do phonics, bible time and our theme of the week. that is followed by a special “time” that her older sister does with her, and is usually a fun activity or a book that goes with the theme. after they are done, there is a small break in our day while I answer or help my older two if needed, then we continue with our lesson time. this is when I basically do the “teaching” part. but first..

coffee.

yes, it is needed. again. I mean, c’mon, it isn’t even lunch time and my energy is typically zapped by this time.

i have a “center activity” planned for her while i make lunch. this usually is math manipulatives, play dough, etc.

lunch is very simple… leftovers or pb&j. i make a full dinner each evening, so lunch isn’t usually spectacular. i choose my battles and challenges very carefully if i can. because, i’m pretty sure a FOURTH cup of coffee at this point would be needed, and i have to stop at some point. maybe. anyway, so i usually let my youngest watch a sesame street youtube clip on the letter or sound we are learning about while she eats. this is a treat for her, and she loves it. it also gives me some quiet to eat my lunch or throw laundry in or help another kiddo.

and then….. it happens…..

QUIET TIME!!

yes… we do a quiet time every day for an hour. we always have. naps are long gone in our house, but this momma needs a little breather and so do they. we all look forward to this time. we go to our rooms and do some quiet play or reading. it truly helps make a difference in the remainder of the day. if there’s ever a time it doesn’t happen, i can see the chaos and drama erupt pretty quickly. quiet time is a life-saver.

…because then it’s “craft” time. i am not a crafty person. like every ounce of craftiness had been used up by the time God created me. i’m pretty sure this is not an exaggeration. nonetheless, i am a good mother and allow the mess to ensue. (honestly, my older two had to go to Gramma’s house when they were younger if they wanted to use anything “messy” to be creative. progress, folks. progress.).

after this, it is usually time for me to begin making dinner.. and at least one of my older girls is done with their schoolwork for the day. typically, i use my powers of resistance and self-discipline to not make a new pot of coffee because… the evenings are made up of running someone somewhere, food shopping or planning for the next day (which i highly recommend.. the days just get off to a better start when the day is all planned and laid out the evening before).

so i won’t bore you with the evening details, because, i am sure yours looks very similar to mine. and hopefully we all find time to cherish the moments with our families, but also the quiet ones after they are in bed (i know you all are feeling that way… and i am here to tell you that IT’S ok! we all need a moment to breathe… so we can be a better momma for the next day. and the next day. and the next… you get the picture.).

well, there it is…

i’m skipping the crazy and boring parts, and of course each day is different (well, except for the fact that momma is tired)… but this is basically our typical day. in the shortest version i could muster.

and since quiet time is over as i write this, i better figure out a clever way to wrap this up. but first…